Whether you have a specific health condition or are just looking for a stress reliever, you can benefit from massage. Massage may range from light strokes to deep pressure depending upon the preference of the client and symptoms being addressed.
Massage is an effective tool for managing stress, which translates into:
- Decreased anxiety.
- Enhanced sleep quality.
- Greater energy.
- Improved concentration.
- Increased circulation.
- Reduced fatigue.
Studies have found massage bodywork may help:
- Alleviate low-back pain and improve range of motion.
- Assist with shorter, easier labor for expectant mothers and shorten maternity hospital stays.
- Ease medication dependence.
- Enhance immunity by stimulating lymph flow—the body\'s natural defense system.
- Exercise and stretch weak, tight, or atrophied muscles.
- Help athletes of any level prepare for, and recover from, strenuous workouts.
- Improve the condition of the body\'s largest organ—the skin.
- Increase joint flexibility.
- Lessen depression and anxiety.
- Promote tissue regeneration, reducing scar tissue and stretch marks.
- Pump oxygen and nutrients into tissues and vital organs, improving circulation.
- Reduce postsurgery adhesions and swelling.
- Reduce spasms and cramping.
- Relax and soften injured, tired, and overused muscles.
- Release endorphins—amino acids that work as the body\'s natural painkiller.
- Relieve migraine pain.
Considered complementary and alternative medicine in the medical field, massage is increasingly being offered along with standard treatment for a wide range of medical conditions and situations. An increasing number of insurance providers are recognizing the benefits of massage, and may cover treatments.
Read what the Mayo Clinic says about the benefits of massage in relation to stress:
Mayo Clinic: Healthy Lifestyle - Stress Management